Designing Human-Centered Software

Syllabus

Prerequisites

Some experience with programming is a course prerequisite, for example: 15-112, 15-110 or 15-104.

Note on parallel sections

DHCS has four parallel sections; All the sections cover mostly the same core material, but the final lectures are reserved for more specialized content which may be different across sections. Also note that the grading mechanism, course material (e.g., lecture ordering and quiz) are slightly different. Whenever difference occurs, please make sure to follow the instructions in your own section.

Course Materials and Communications

• Slides will be on this page; You will need to log in with your Andrew ID to access them.
• Homeworks, quizes, bakeoffs will be posted on Canvas when their time comes.
• Please bring paper and something to write with to class. Sometimes I may ask you to upload a photo.
• If you have questions related to course materials or logistics, please post them on Slack (See the link on Canvas).
• If you have special requests, please email the TA at qianoum@andrew.cmu.edu. If the TA cannot answer your question, she will forward it to the instructor.

Attendance

Lectures will be held in-person twice a week. A good portion of the learning in any class comes from intelligent discussion. If you don’t attend class, you cannot participate, and your performance in the class will reflect that. Rather than taking attendance, there may be pop quizzes and also artifacts collected at the end of class that were generated from in-class activities

In case the class transitions from in-person to online, the classes will be held synchronously via Zoom. It would be highly appreciated if your video were on. I expect your full attention, professionalism, and interactive participation as if this were a real in-person class. This arrangement is not to place undue stress on you, but rather provide the best educational experience.

Excused absences this course accepts are medical and family emergencies, academic conference travel, religious events, and a small set of approved collegiate activities. If in doubt, contact me to find a solution. Note that interviews, family vacations, weddings, sleeping through alarms, etc. are not excused. Your lowest two participation grades will be dropped, allowing you to miss up to two classes without impacting your grade.

Homework and Quizzes

You will have homework assignments each week leading up until we start the bakeoffs (described in the next section). Each week there may also be a quiz based on the lecture content which you will complete via canvas. I will drop the 2 lowest quiz grades.

Projects - Bakeoffs

The bulk of the work in this class will be a series of group projects (aka the Bakeoffs), comprised of an interdisciplinary group of roughly three people. Each project will go through an iterative human-centered process, with each phase having a video report and in-class presentation. Peer reviews are collected following group assignments and make up a significant part of your grade.

Grade

Lectures and homework will be posted to canvas. The due date is posted as well. Each day late will result in a 10% deduction (up to a maximum of 50% off). Students caught cheating or plagiarizing will receive no credit for the assignment. Additional actions – including assigning the student a failing grade in the class or referring the case for disciplinary action – may be taken at the discretion of the instructor. Please note that Canvas has automated plagiarism detection built in now, so please do not cheat or turn-in uncited work. Your final grade in this course will be based on:

• 30% Homeworks
• 35% Bakeoffs
• 20% Quizzes
• 15% Participation

Incompletes & Pass/Fail

It is the policy of this class to not give incompletes. Several assignments have in-class components, so you will need to have each one finished on time. There is no option to take DHCS pass/fail.

Other Information

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

Among the many topics in this class, we will discuss many that relate to diversity, equity, and inclusion. As your professor, I am committed to fostering and supporting an inclusive environment in my class (which extends beyond the physical room). It is our goal that students from all diverse backgrounds and perspectives are well served by this course, that students’ learning needs be addressed both in and out of class, and that the diversity that students bring to this class be viewed as a resource, strength, and benefit. Dimensions of diversity include race, age, national origin, ethnicity, gender identity and expression, intellectual and physical ability, sexual orientation, faith and non-faith perspectives, socio-economic class, political ideology, education, primary language, family status, military experience, cognitive style, and communication style. We are intentional in our aim to present materials and activities that are respectful of diversity, based on these dimensions and any other visible and invisible differences not captured in this list. Your suggestions for ensuring that the class lives up to these values are encouraged and appreciated.

Accommodations for Students with Disabilities

If you have a disability and are registered with the Office of Disability Resources, we encourage you to use their online system to notify us of your accommodations and discuss your needs with us as early in the semester as possible. We will work with you to ensure that accommodations are provided as appropriate. If you suspect that you may have a disability and would benefit from accommodations but are not yet registered with the Office of Disability Resources, we encourage you to contact them at access@andrew.cmu.edu.

Health and Well-being

If you are experiencing COVID-like symptoms or have a recent COVID exposure, do not attend class if we are meeting in-person. Please email the instructors for accomodations.

If you or anyone you know experiences any academic stress, difficult life events, or feelings like anxiety or depression, we strongly encourage you to seek support. Counseling and Psychological Services (CaPS) is here to help; call 412-268-2922 and visit their website at www.cmu.edu/counseling/. Consider reaching out to a friend, faculty or family member you trust for help getting connected to the support that can help. If you or someone you know is feeling suicidal or in danger of self-harm, call someone immediately, day or night:

• CaPS: 412-268-2922
• Re:solve Crisis Network: 888-796-8226

If the situation is life threatening, call the police. On campus call CMU Police: 412-268-2323. Off campus: 911.

If you have questions about this, please let the instructors know. Thank you, and have a great semester.